Sorted by date Results 28 - 52 of 1155

Latest on Maine Senate Race: Democratic nominee Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and Marine veteran challenging incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, faces fresh rumors of an impending damaging revelation as of July 6, 2026, with multiple campaign events postponed amid speculation of explicit material tied to his past Kik app use. New Sexual Assault Allegation: A woman who dated Platner has accused him of forcing non-consensual sex in late 2021 despite her objections, per a Politico...

Corrected and updated version of the story (as of July 5, 2026): Yountville, CA - Paul Pelosi, 86, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was involved in a hit-and-run crash Friday afternoon in Yountville, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on July 3 in the 6700 block of Yount Street. A witness reported seeing a brown Maserati convertible strike an unoccupied, legally parked car, briefly stop, and then drive away....

Newport Beach, California — What began as a packed Fourth of July holiday celebration on the Balboa Peninsula turned chaotic on Saturday evening, July 4, 2026, with large unruly crowds leading to fights, illegal fireworks hurled at police and bystanders, widespread debris, vandalism, and reports of looting at a local grocery store. Authorities responded with a major show of force, including mounted officers on horseback, resulting in more than 400 arrests over about 36 h...

Greenbelt, Maryland (June 26, 2026) - John Bolton, who served as national security adviser during President Donald Trump's first term before becoming one of his sharpest critics, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of unlawful retention of national defense information in federal court. Bolton entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang as part of a deal with the Justice Department that resolves an 18-count indictment handed up last October. The original charges...

CARACAS, Venezuela — Two powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck northwestern Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, have left at least 235 people dead and more than 4,300 injured, according to the latest government figures released Thursday evening. The quakes—a magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed just 39 seconds later by a 7.5 mainshock—centered near Yumare in Yaracuy state, caused widespread collapses of buildings in Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira. Over...

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance arrived in downtown Santa Monica on Friday as part of the Vice President's Southern California tour. He arrived at 1:30 p.m. PST on Friday, June 26, 2026. The purpose of his visit was to promote his book at the local Barnes & Noble. His wife Usha joined him on the trail, despite the fact that she was about six months pregnant. Fourth Street remained blocked off between Arizona Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. Local police...

Chicago, IL – As the Obama Presidential Center officially opened to the public on June 19, 2026, online discussions have spotlighted a striking cost comparison with another iconic Chicago structure: the Trump International Hotel and Tower. The Trump Tower, a gleaming 98-story mixed-use skyscraper completed in 2009 along the Chicago River, cost approximately $847 million to build. The Obama Presidential Center, a 19.3-acre public campus in Jackson Park featuring a museum, libra...

California voters will decide in November whether to impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of the state's roughly 200 billionaires as part of the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act. The measure, which qualified for the ballot after supporters submitted more than 1.55 million signatures-nearly double the required threshold-cleared verification by the Secretary of State and is set for certification on June 25. The initiative would levy the tax on California residents with a net worth...

The US-Iran deal (as of mid-June 2026) is a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), often called the "Islamabad agreement" due to Pakistani mediation. It aims to extend a ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, and kick off further talks on Iran's nuclear program. It is not a full, final nuclear deal like the JCPOA-many core issues (nuclear details, sanctions, proxies) are deferred to negotiations within the 60-day window. Key Terms (Based on US and Mediating...

Santa Monica, CA (June 11, 2026) — The City of Santa Monica has converted what had been a working Downtown street called Broadway, into a cluster screw of bike lanes, concrete barriers, bus lanes, and parking in the middle of the street. Yesterday, it nearly cost a motorcyclist her life. A motorcyclist was critically injured in a collision Tuesday evening at the intersection of 5th Street and Broadway, near the Target store in downtown Santa Monica. The crash occurred a...

In a dramatic early-morning raid, federal agents arrested Mahender Makhijani, a 44-year-old lawful permanent resident from India living in the exclusive Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, on charges of bank fraud. Authorities allege he defrauded a federally insured bank of nearly $100 million by falsifying title insurance policies and concealing senior liens on real estate collateral. Makhijani, who controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based firm,...

Short runways at commercial airports demand precise piloting, weight restrictions on aircraft, and careful performance calculations, especially in hot weather, high density altitude, or with tailwinds. Only airports with scheduled passenger service from major carriers (or their regional affiliates) are considered here. Runway lengths refer to the longest or primary commercial runway(s). 1. Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH / HXD), South Carolina – 5,000 feet This holds the t...

Eyewitness accounts and vote data from the June 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary paint a disturbing picture of how late mail-in ballot "drops" in Downtown LA (DTLA) are disproportionately boosting one candidate: Nithya Raman. This explains why after June 2, the race for LA Mayor shifted from Spencer Pratt and Towards Nithiya Raman to finish second and make the November runoff against Karen Bass, who allowed the Palisades to burn down. Pratt himself says: "A net swing of more...

SACRAMENTO — With roughly two-thirds to 72% of ballots counted statewide in California's June 2 primary, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary **Xavier Becerra** (D) has secured first place and advanced to the November general election. The battle for the second spot remains tight between Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Tom Steyer, though Hilton maintains a narrow edge as late mail ballots continue to be tallied. Current statewide estimates show: - **Xavier B...

18: With the majority of votes now counted in California's June 2, 2026, top-two primary for Insurance Commissioner, State Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) has solidified a strong second-place position, positioning him to advance to the November general election. Latest results (as of early June 4 reporting, with most precincts partially or fully reporting): Jane Kim (D, progressive/Working Families Party): 23.8% (~1,140,336 votes) Ben Allen (D): 19.2% (~920,814 votes)...

Yesterday, San Francisco voters went to the polls in the primary to choose who will succeed Nancy Pelosi in California's 11th Congressional District. I ran as a Republican in one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the country. I felt strongly that in a once in 38 year open seat election, Republicans should be represented--even if SF is the bluest city in America. I didn't advance to the general election-nor did I expect to-but the experience was invaluable. Here's...

Santa Monica, CA - Voters in Santa Monica encountered notably long lines at polling locations on Election Day, reflecting a broader trend of increased participation across Los Angeles County in the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan, the county - home to more than 5.8 million registered voters - experienced modestly higher turnout compared to the 2022 primary. Officials projected...

San Francisco voters: This June primary is a mess. Three main Democrats are fighting for Nancy Pelosi's seat - but all have serious red flags. They have been conducting a circular firing squad, ever since Pelosi endorsed one of them for her job. Here's why you should think twice before voting for any of them... and why a fresh, pragmatic choice makes sense. 1/ Connie Chan: Accused of ties to BOTH Israel lobby AND CCP influence Connie Chan is the first candidate in California...

17 Paris, France – Celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) dramatic win in the 2026 UEFA Champions League final descended into chaos Saturday night, with riots, fires, looting, and clashes with police across central Paris. PSG defeated Arsenal 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw through regular and extra time at Budapest's Puskás Aréna on May 30, 2026. The victory marked PSG's second consecutive Champions League title. Shaky nighttime video cir...

As the publisher of the Santa Monica Observer and a candidate for Congress in California's 11th District, I've watched progressive experiments turn San Francisco into a cautionary tale. Sky-high rents, streets littered with needles and tents, businesses fleeing, and a quality of life that once made this city legendary now feels like a distant memory. With Nancy Pelosi retiring after nearly four decades, voters face a critical choice on June 2. There can be little doubt that...

On Friday, May 29, 2026, a mountain lion — popularly known as a cougar — made a dramatic appearance in a quiet residential neighborhood north of Montana Avenue on 14th Street in Santa Monica. What began as an evasion saga, with the elusive big cat slipping through initial containment efforts, ended successfully when California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) biologists tranquilized, examined, collared, and relocated the animal. The Sighting and Prolonged Res...

Sacramento, CA - A video circulating widely on social media shows Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang facing away from the American flag as fellow officials and attendees recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a council meeting, reigniting debate over patriotism and elected officials' responsibilities. Vang, a Democrat representing District 8 and a candidate in the June 2, 2026, primary for California's 7th Congressional District, has made no secret of her practice. She...

As a longtime publisher in Santa Monica and now a candidate for Congress representing San Francisco, I've watched progressive experiments in housing play out up close - and the results are painfully clear. While my opponent and others tout zoning reforms and density mandates as victories, the data tells a different story: doubled median home prices, record homelessness, fewer homes built in key periods, a persistent statewide shortfall, and shrinking homeownership...

Summary: Average San Francisco voters distrust Scott Wiener, yet commentators call him a moderate progressive with well-intentioned YIMBY housing laws. In reality, he is California's most extreme legislator, exploiting constituents, stoking division, and ramming through unwanted policies while accusing opponents of bigotry. He enabled addiction by opposing Prop 36, authoring SB 57 for safe injection sites, and killing bills enhancing fentanyl penalties and targeting dealers....

**San Francisco** - In a city where parking spots can fetch six figures and tech millionaires bid up multimillion-dollar homes, a 5,000-square-foot "lot" near Candlestick Point just sold for a jaw-dropping $250 - with one major caveat: it's entirely underwater. The parcel at 0 Bancroft Avenue, Lot 17, in the Bayview District, consists of roughly 4,996 square feet of San Francisco Bay seabed. Listed on Zillow as a "rare underwater parcel" offering "unique opportunity for...